BANFF – All TV programming, including news and sports, will be in 3D within five to 25 years, Geneva Film Co. founder James Stewart told Cartt.ca after his keynote speech on Sunday at the Banff World Television Festival.
“Everything will be in 3D because it can,” he stated. "Besides, 3D sports programming is absolutely interesting. Just take a look at the Masters on a 3DTV.”
During the presentation, it was noted ESPN in the United States was producing 25 games in 3D from soccer’s World Cup in South Africa and some of them will be available on Rogers, Telus and other Canadian distributors, as they announced last week.
“(Companies) are starting up 3D networks, even though they don’t have much content yet,” added Stewart (pictured below in his 3D specs).
“If the new technology is going to dominate why isn’t there content?” we asked. Stewart said it was because it was new but that it was coming on fast.
He was unaware if any of Canada’s big networks were planning to produce any 3D content, however.
Stewart’s presentation consisted of the technical side of producing 3D, how the glasses work, what the cameras are like, and also included a screening of some concerts produced in 3D.
He also noted that a study out of Chicago of 1,000 students showed that 3D content was more conducive to learning than 2-D. Stewart said that 3D would also take hold of film, gaming, mobile and other platforms, adding that there are already 400 games in 3D.
Another inhibitor right now is the cost of 3DTV production, which is 10% to 25% higher than 2D, he stated.
“3D is here to stay,” noted Stewart, who the Banff program bills as “a leading authority in the 3D universe, alongside celebrated 3D believers such as Jeffrey Katzenberg and James Cameron.”
– Norma Reveler
